In 2018, dad of three "George S." lost his job at a tin company and started claiming Universal Credit. The Department for Work and Pensions, the government’s social security ministry, has sanctioned him for failing to submit proof online showing that he is looking for a job – a requirement he has struggled with because he cannot read or write. During the months he was sanctioned, he says his Universal Credit payments were cut in half. “The sanctions affected the children”, said George, “I can’t buy clothes for them or food. That’s why I come to the foodbank.”
© 2020 Samer Muscati/Human Rights Watch